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My favorite text editor on Windows is Notepad++. It's essentially Text Wrangler for Windows, and Text Wrangler is my favorite text editor on Mac. I write Javascript and Python in it, and it's what I'd program Lua in if I used Corona on Windows. This isn't a full IDE with stuff like auto-complete and code folding, but it has all the features I use (syntax highlighting, multiple document tabs, diff, etc.)

SciTE from Scintilla is an excellent tool for sandbox testing lua code before you bring it into Corona.

You can run your code and see the debug output from within the editor. but more importantly you can set breakpoints, step through your code and inspect variables. If you're writing any complex lua libraries it is a must have. Easy to use and small footprint.

Do you folks know if any of these are extensible to add code highlighting for Corona? And I mean, for mere mortals who want to work hard at it, not super awesome neckbeards! ;) I'm gonna check 'em all out!! WOW! Sublime??!?!! Who knew?!!? Sooooo prettyyy.

finally... today I was able to start the damn simulator from my IndeED port for Corona. During the last weeks I pulled out my no more existing hair about this. And was about to give up. Now I can finally go further and port/add the features to IndeED. If you don't mind tempory programmers art for the icon... here is a little screenshot:

I made the mistake by supporting to many languages at the same time with the full feature set. That was VERY difficult to maintain. A serious computer crash and not able to setup my dev system the way it needed to be (DELPHI and its components) basically rendered IndeED dead in 2008.

Now in 2010/2011 I will resurrect IndeED as an editor/IDE for Corona SDK.

Stay tune and if you want, let me know which features you would like to see in an IDE/Editor.

Hi!
I have just added a language file for the
Source edit application. with (hopefully) full syntax for lua.
the editor can be downladed for free from
http:\\www.brixoft.net
and the language fila for lua can be found at http://www.brixoft.net/tnr.asp
it will come public in the weekend (2011-02-20) or if you want it in advance send me an message and i mail it to you.

There are some stepps that has to be done in Sorce Edit soo that the language will automaticlly be selected for lua files:
1. copy lua.lng to the Lang folder of the source edit installation.
2. start source edit
3. in tools menu select options
4. in options dialog select files
5. Select "Lua" in the Language dropdown
6. In maps to files type "*.lua"
you can also add file types to open/save dialog
type "Corona SDK" in file description
and "*.lua" in file extension
click the add button.
Save the settings by pressing the OK button.
Done!

Just tried Lua Edit, both 2.5 and 2010 and had issues with both on my 64bit windows 7. Firstly, 2.5 would not run, secondly in version 2010 the auto complete did not work.

However I did find this Estrela Editor which worked out of the box well for me. It doesn't even require installation, just unzip and run the exe
The Auto-complete works well, a scroll box automatically pops up and you can see what syntax & keywords are available to use.
However, the tooltips are somewhat limited. But bear in mind, this project looks very fresh, barely 2 weeks old, so it looks promising.

Since I'm a beginner to Lua, and have little experience in programming, the two key features I'm looking for in an IDE,that is:
* descriptive tool tip (not just for errors), like TextMate
* Auto code completion, like in TextMate

reddotinc : I wish I coulf use Sublime too, but I can't make RUN working, in textmate on my mac, I just do command+R and my simulator is launching : how can I get the same on windows ?
( BTW, this question is not directed only to sublimetext)

I really recommend for new developers to not reinvent the wheel when it comes finding a nice LUA IDE with an easy install. The best resource and up to date Lua comes from, believe it or not; World of Warcraft. With a customer base in the 11 millions and a game based around a customizable Lua interfaces they have created some very nice self sustaining IDE's for LUA, and up to date functionality.

AddOn Studio 2010 version 3.0.10611.0 is being released right now, which should go a long ways toward helping whoever is using this IDE as a part fo their development with Corona.

The standard Lua docs are much more complete, and the intellisense descriptions and infratructure should come leaps and bounds closer to what one might experience using other languages with VS, like C#. The performance, especially during the code sense portion where the 'list' popus up should be far less laggy and feel much more like the performance of the other MS shipping languages like C# and VB.

Specfically for Corona, there is now a starter CoronaAPI.xml in a 'Lua\Documentation\Corona' folder, that only needs to be copied to the Lua\Documentation folder to enable basic Corona api lookups. The other wow specific xml doc files can be placed in a wow folder, or deleted to remove the wow documentation from being used by AddOn Studio. The CoronaAPI.xml file is a cleaned up derivative of @frnapps' corona xml documentation from his post http://developer.anscamobile.com/forum/2011/04/30/mad-scientist-wowaddonstudio-my-custom-mod-intellisensed-ms-visual-studio-ide-waos. If there is interest I can process the Corona api into more real and complete docs. I have to admit that I have read none of any kind of Corona user agreements, nor have I ever seen the Corona platform product. I lay no claim nor wish to interfere with Corona or its interest. And this sparse intellisense API doc is use at your own risk :) blah blah blah...